Russia determined to develop political dialogue with Myanmar - Putin
BEIJING. April 26 (Interfax) - Trade between Russia and Myanmar is humble so far but is growing fast, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.
"Trade is humble in absolute amounts so far, but it is growing fast; it increased by over than 50% last year. There are also issues of a regional nature that, undoubtedly, should remain in our focus," Putin said at a meeting with State Counsellor of Myanmar, Aung San Suu Kyi, in Beijing on Friday.
"We are determined to develop both political dialogue and inter-parliamentary interaction further," he said.
Putin said he was pleased to have the opportunity to meet and discuss all these issues.
Myanmar is a long-time and reliable partner of Russia in Southeast Asia, Putin said. Last year marked 70 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the countries.
Aung San Suu Kyi, in turn, told Putin about the popularity of Russian Ambassador to Myanmar Nikolai Listopadov, who gained this in the country owing to his proficiency in the Burmese language.
"The Russian ambassador to Myanmar has done a lot for the development of our relations and strengthening of friendship, largely due to his proficiency in the Myanmar language. It made him very popular in our country. We are looking forward to an opportunity to expand and deepen our relations with the Russian Federation further," Aung San Suu Kyi said.
She thanked Putin for the meeting. "We tried to meet earlier, but, unfortunately, we were unable to. We value our long-term friendship with the Russian Federation and are grateful to you for the comprehensive support you provide to us," the state counsellor said.